1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image printing apparatus, or more specifically to an image printing apparatus for projecting and printing images recorded on a photographic film and a method of setting the monitor display density.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional image printing apparatus for printing images recorded on a photographic film on to printing paper, the image to be printed is displayed on the monitor included in the image printing apparatus and the operator adjusts the exposure condition, etc. by visually checking the image.
In this image printing apparatus, an image displayed on the monitor and an image to be actually printed on the printing paper are required to be adjusted in advance to present the same appearance (to the human eye) using a reference negative image prepared for each predetermined density. As a reference negative image, what is called a Bull's eye with a gray image 601 recorded for each predetermined density as shown in FIG. 8 is used. The Bull's eye generally has four types according to density. They are an under negative film (hereinafter called the U Bull's eye), a normal negative film (hereinafter called the N Bull's eye), an over negative film (hereinafter called the 0 Bull's eye) and an over-over negative film (hereinafter called the Oo Bull's eye). A figure image 602 such as shown by dotted line in FIG. 8 may be recorded on the image frame 600 of the Bull's eye. This is referenced for adjustment taking the skin color into consideration.
An index print separate from the main print can be prepared using the image data displayed on the monitor. This index print includes a matrix of frames arranged so that the photographs on the developed film may be easily checked. In an index printer capable of producing such an index print, a liquid crystal panel is used as an image display means, on which the image data corresponding to a plurality of image frames recorded on the photographic film are displayed and are printed at the same time on the printing paper as an image smaller than a normal print.
The image displayed on the monitor, i.e., the image used for the index print depends on the operator's skill for the adjustment thereof, therefore, having the disadvantage of causing considerable variations in adjustment depending on the sense of the individual operators and depending on which portion of the Bull's eye image is attentively observed by the operator, and that quick adjustment is difficult.